A Strange, New World
by SeliseG
Summary: Loki has been stripped of his powers and thrown to Earth. He is found by Deidra Cole, a biology intern. She is either incredibly stupid or incredibly brave, Loki can't determine which, because she looks past his anger and offers her help to survive Earth as a human. As of now there is no intention of this being a romance story. Anything's possible, though, so stick around. :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Deidra Cole was a 26-year-old biology intern. She had long brown hair, always pulled up, and bright green eyes. She loved her job at the lab, but felt stuck. She had enough money to live on, but that was absolutely it. She felt there had to be more to life than working and working and working, but getting absolutely nowhere.

At the same time, deep into the universe, a world named Asgard was holding the trial of its prince, the king's youngest son, Loki.  
He faced many charges; horrible charges. Any civilization would have him put to death for his crimes, however King Odin felt pity for his son. In an act of both mercy and justice, the king stripped the dark prince of all his powers and threw him to a world far away. Not even he knew where his son would land.

Deidra was in the forest, looking for certain plant life, when she saw the light come from the sky. Intrigued, she ran towards it. She ran for a long time, and by the time she got to where the light was, it was gone; only a strange design was left on the ground.

"What in the hell?" She said in awe at the design. She looked up at the sky, then looked around.

She heard the brush move to her right. It sounded big. Bears were known to be in the area, as well as feral dogs, which were vicious. She slowly picked up a large stick to defend herself if she needed to. No sudden movements. She kicked herself mentally for not bringing a form of protection for herself.

'One day I'm going to get eaten out here,' she thought, staring into the forest in the direction of the sound.

The noise came closer. Cold fear raced through her veins and she trembled. This was it. It came even closer and the brush moved to the side. Her brow furrowed and she cocked her head to the side, lowering her stick a little. It was a man. A black-haired man in rather nice clothing.

He stumbled out into the opening, obviously dazed. He spotted her and scowled. "You dare brandish a weapon at me, you puny mortal?" he spat.

He looked and sounded strangely familiar. Where had she seen him? Then it hit her suddenly. She sucked in her breath as her eyes widened and she raised the stick again. "You!" she exclaimed, raising her stick again.

It was that god, Loki, who had attempted to enslave the world just a few months ago. She now wished she were facing a bear instead of him. A bear would be much, much more preferable.

"Lower your weapon!" he commanded and menacingly stepped closer to her. "You are no match for me with your little stick. I am the god, Loki! I will crush y-"

But he didn't finish his sentence. Deidra dropped the stick and sprayed him in the face with the bear mace. With a strangled cry of agony, he fell to the ground, grabbing at his eyes, writhing in pain.

"What did you do to me?" he yelled at her in pain, blinded by the mace. "I will destroy you!"

She picked up the stick and raised it over her head before bringing it down hard on his side. She brought it up again and hit him once more before throwing the stick down and running off away from him as fast as she could. His howls of pain followed her.

Finally she stopped and caught her breath. She looked off into the direction she came from, still hearing him. Wasn't he a god? Didn't she see the footage of him taking hits like it was nothing? He fought off bullets, for god's sake, yet he couldn't handle mace and getting hit with a stick? Something wasn't the same about him. If she hadn't of seen him do those incredible things on the television she would have assumed he was just an ordinary man.

She sighed. She'd never be able to live with herself if she just left him writhing on the ground. She took another deep breath and walked back towards him.

He was exactly where she had left him, still on the ground, clawing at his eyes. She stared at him for a second, thinking over what she was about to do, then dug through her bag for her water bottle.

"Here," she said, dropping to her knees beside him. She reached out to touch his arm, but hesitated for a second. Her resolve hardened and she placed her hand on his forearm. "I have water, you need to put it on your eyes," she told him, but he continued growling in pain. She tried to move his hands, but he jerked away.

"Get away from me!" he snarled.

She frowned. "I'm trying to help you!" she said loudly. "That was bear mace. If you want your eyes to keep burning like that for another few hours, then fine, I'll leave. But this water will help the pain stop."

He stilled, breathing heavily. He allowed her to remove his hands from his streaming eyes. She pried them open and gently flushed them out. After her bottle was empty, he was much calmer.

"There," she said, putting her bottle back in her bag.

Loki sat up and rubbed at his running nose and watering eyes. He gave her a dark look. "You injured me," he said dangerously. "That was a very unwise thing to do..."

She held up the mace. "I'll spray you again if you try anything," she said. "And this time I won't come back to make it better."

He considered it and dropped his shoulders in defeat. He laughed darkly. "Imagine," he said under his breath. "A son of Odin felled by a Midgardian with a bottle." He looked up at her suddenly. "Who are you?"

"Deidra Cole," she said. "Who are you? You look like that god who destroyed New York, but I don't think you're him."

He smiled. "Oh I am him," he said.

"You can't be. That guy wouldn't have been phased by mace."

He frowned. "Do not speak of matters in which you are not concerned," he warned.

She frowned back at him. "You came out of the woods and _threatened_ me," she said. "I defended myself. I should have kept going when I ran off, but I came back to help _you_. Obviously something is going on with you to make you so weak."

"I am not weak!" he snapped.

She shrugged. "You owe me," she said.

Loki stared at her. She was the most insolent thing he had ever met. Incredibly stupid also, to sit down with him and engage in conversation. 'No, not engaging,' he thought. '_Forcing_ conversation.' Was she incredibly stupid or incredibly brave?

He hated having debts, but he couldn't argue that if she hadn't of come back he would still be rolling around on the ground like an injured beast. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gathering his patience for this little Midgardian woman. "I was thrown from Asgard," he said slowly, opening his eyes, but not looking at her. "And as a result, I..._lost_ my abilities."

She stared at him. Lost his abilities? So now there was nothing special about him? He was thrown from his world? He was in exile? Suddenly, strangely, she felt a pang of pity shoot through her heart. He was all alone on a strange planet nothing like his own with nothing to protect him.

He looked up at her and glared. "Do not look at me in that way!" he said harshly. "I need not your pity."

She turned her head from him, then looked back at him firmly. "You say you have no powers?"

"It seems not," he said flatly.

She stood. "Then you're going to need help."

He looked up at her quizzically. "What?"

She looked down at him. "You don't know how to deal with this world, especially without any powers. Force will only cause you to stand out here and in your state you are no match to fight anyone. Stop glaring at me, you know it's true," she said seeing the look he was giving her. "You need help to survive here."

"And you will help me?" he raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Why should I believe you? You attacked me with fire in a bottle."

"I came back."

He sighed. He knew what she said was true. He had no idea how to navigate this world without using force or his abilities. He didn't want to stand out because he knew Midgard wanted his head on a platter for what he had done. He needed to stay low and figure his next move.

"I shall accept your assistance," he said standing up and dusting himself off. "For the time being at least."

"Great," she said turning around and walking off to her car. He followed, hating the fact that he was reduced to relying on the help of a mere mortal woman.

'I will rise again,' he thought darkly as he walked. 'One way or the other.'


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2! It's harder than I thought it would be to write this story, lol! I know exactly where I want it to end up, but getting there is going to be the hard part, haha! If you have any suggestions, requests for this story, let me know and I'll incorporate it best I can. :D**

Deidra unlocked her car and got in. Loki got in as well, not saying a word. Every time he blinked it felt like sand was grating his corneas. It was horribly uncomfortable, but he was thankful the burning fire was extinguished. He rubbed at his eyes with the palm of his hand.

"Your eyes are bloodshot," she said and leaned over his lap and opened the glove box.

He sat straight in his seat and gave her an indignant look. "What do you think you're doing? How dare you-"

"Here," she said sitting up straight and shutting the glove box. She handed him a tiny green bottle. He examined it and looked at her blankly.

"It's eye drops," she explained. "It should help your eyes. You hold your head back and squeeze the drops in your eyes. Three drops each eye."

He raised an eyebrow, but took off the top and did as he was told. He wiped the excess off his face and blinked rapidly. "Hm," he said intrigued. It actually did help some. The grating feeling was still there, but it was only a slight annoyance at that point. He placed the bottle in the cup holder and sat back in his seat.

"Better?" She asked, putting the keys in the ignition. He looked at her and nodded. "You're welcome, then," she said trying to crank the car. It turned over and turned over, but would not start.

He raised his eyebrow. "I may be mistaken, but I don't believe that is what the vehicle is supposed to do."

She shot him an angry glance and tried the car again. This was nothing new. Her car was at least 20 years old and pretty much on death's door, but she couldn't afford anything else at the moment. It would eventually start. She hoped.

She hit the steering wheel and tried again. Finally the car roared to life and she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She sat back in her seat and drove.

"It's all I can afford," she said in embarrassment. He didn't respond.

They drove for about 20 minutes in relative silence before he spoke, calmly and quietly. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Home," she responded. "I can't just let you wander around. That's just disaster waiting to happen. I have a guest bedroom where you can sleep. I have food, water, a bed," she looked at him. His clothes, skin, and hair were very dirty. "..._a shower_," she added.

Loki looked down at his arm and made a displeased expression. "Yes..." he said softly. Bathing would be most welcome to him at that moment. After that he could strategize how to bring himself back into some sort of power. He refused to just roll over and accept his fate.

He looked out the window. He would give anything _not_ to have to rely on the Midgardian woman, but at that moment she was useful to him. 'Once her usefulness runs its course,' he thought to himself. 'I'll dispose of her.' He looked over at Deidra and smiled at the thought of ending her.

At that moment they pulled into a driveway and Deidra parked the car. Loki frowned at the exterior of the small home. There was nothing grand about it at all. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

He followed her inside, silently eyeing everything. "You...live here?" he said finally. "It's nearly unsuitable for habitation."

She flushed, her pride wounded. "Well, yeah it's a little cluttered-"

"Filthy," he corrected.

"Look it's the best I can do," she said. Her house wasn't filthy, but it was old and the furniture was old as well. She had bought all the furnishings from thrift pretty much. Nothing matched, but nearly everything she needed was there. Boxes of papers for her internship were stacked against the living room wall and supper from the night before was still on the stove.

He raised an eyebrow at her and looked around the room. "Where are my quarters, then?" he said with a sigh. She showed him down the hall and into a tiny guest bedroom with an attached bathroom. She then left to let him bathe.

After his shower, Loki walked into his quarters, rubbing his hair with a towel. He frowned and looked around the room. His clothing was gone and in their place were new ones, looking much too big for his frame. He made a face and picked up the clothes to examine them. These would not do at all. He assumed the Earth woman had taken his clothing, probably for wash.

He was aggravated, but said nothing and pulled on the oversized clothing. He held out his arms and looked down at himself, making a displeased sound.

'I look ridiculous,' he thought.

He kept having to pull the pants up over his waist. Never in his life had he been subjected to this. This was degrading.

He found a brush on the nightstand and brushed through his long black locks. Then he bunched up the waist of his pants in his fist and walked out of his room. He found Deidra in the kitchen, cooking.

"My garments," he said cordially. "Where are they?"

She looked at him, then back at her cooking. "In the wash," she responded. "I treated them. The dirt should come out no problem."

He sat in the dining chair. "You said you would help me."

"Yes I did. And I am," she replied. "Clothes first, then we'll over to bigger things."

Suddenly a sharp pain shot through his head causing him to sharply suck in his breath.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

He held the side of his skull and waved her off. "I'm fine," he said, not knowing entirely if that was true. He did notice, however that his body felt lighter and the lights seemed a bit brighter.

As soon as the pain came it was gone. Again, Loki noticed a change in himself. He felt calmer, less agitated, more clear-headed. Not by much, but it was noticeable.

'What is this?' he thought.

"Here," Deidra's voice broke through his thoughts. She placed a small meal in front of him along with a glass of water. "I'm supposed to go to the lab today," she said, "but I called Bill and told him I'm taking a couple of days off."

"Bill?" Loki asked, hating the small talk.

"My boss. I intern for him. We study plant biology."

"Ah. Fascinating," he said. No it wasn't. In fact it sounded downright dull. He began to eat.

"Once your clothes are dry I'll take you to buy some new ones. They definitely won't be as fancy as the ones you have, but you can't just wear the same set of clothes everyday."

She sat across from him. She looked at him a minute and then blurted, "You can't really be the real god, Loki. You're either pretending or you're crazy." She had been thinking on it since they had gotten home. He had to be crazy...Right?

"What makes you think that?" He smiled crookedly.

"You're not a god. See?" She reached over and poked him hard in the arm.

"Ow!" He said angrily. "How dare you!"

She ignored him. "You're bruising from where I hit you and your eyes are still swollen from that spray."

He rubbed his arm tenderly. He was bruised on that arm and all along both of his sides. She had only hit him twice with that stick, but she had gotten him good.

He looked darkly at her. "And just how would you like me to prove the unprovable to you?" He snipped.

She sighed. "I guess you can't," she said.

"Do you think me mad?" He asked quietly, his mood changing instantly. He was no longer agitated, but solemn. His mood swing confused him. What was causing his emotions to bounce like this?

She looked at him, pitying him once more. "I don't know," she said honestly. "But I _do_ know you must be frightened, being all alone like this."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! This chapter was hard to write lol. I'm starting to get an idea of how I want the story to progress to the end. Like I said, I know exactly how I want it to end, but getting there is going to be rough! If you like the story, review! If you hate the story, review! If you have ANY constructive criticism, please review! I LOVE constructive criticism! :D If you have any suggestions or ideas you would like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do! :D **

Later that afternoon, Deidra and Loki went to find new clothes for him. She didn't really have the money to spare, but she bought him about four outfits anyway. They weren't fancy, but they were nice; button up shirts and black pants.

On the way back to Deidra's home, Loki had another sudden pain shoot through his head.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked him in concern.

"I'm fine," he said, but as before, he really didn't know if that was true. He had never experienced a headache like that before. And, as before, he felt lighter and less agitated than he did before the pain started.

They got back to the house and settled down for the evening. Deidra turned on the television to the news. She watched it every day.

Loki wasn't paying attention, but instead reading a book in an armchair.

The news anchor started speaking about the rebuilding of New York City after the alien attack.

That got his attention. He looked up at the screen and saw the destroyed city.

He frowned. He remembered the day he brought the Chitauri down on the city, but it now seemed like a dream, foggy and distorted. Had he really brought down all that destruction?

Deidra noticed his gaze at the television. She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Truthfully she feared him. Yes, she promised to help him, but it was scary to think that either a psychopathic god who tried to conquer Earth or an insane man was a guest in her home, sitting not even three feet away from her.

She sighed. Maybe _she_ was the crazy one, taking him in like she did.

After watching television for a while, she made dinner and then retired to bed. She could hear him moving around in the living room through her shut (and locked!) door. He was still reading, she supposed. She reached under her pillow and felt of the bear mace and kitchen knife underneath. She shook her head at herself and went to sleep.

Loki actually _was_ still reading, but he wasn't really paying attention to the words in the book. What was the book called anyway? Jane Eyre? It didn't matter.

He glanced towards Deidra's closed bedroom door. 'I don't need her,' he thought. 'I can manage just fine on my own.'

He didn't have a plan of action, even after thinking on it all day. He couldn't think of any way to come out on top in his situation. And besides that, he realized all the fight was leaving him with each new headache. His bloodlust was all but gone as well. He wished no harm on the woman anymore.

He _had_ decided, though, that he didn't want to be in the debt of some human woman. He would find a way to survive on his own. He would be fine, he figured. He was intelligent. He'd figure something out.

He decided to leave that night.

He put down the book and found a cloth bag from the kitchen. He put all his new clothes into the bag and walked quietly out of the house and into the night, shutting the door silently behind him.

A shrill noise jarred Deidra out of her sleep. She opened her eyes and realized it was her phone ringing. She looked around. The room was completely dark. What time was it? She checked her alarm clock. It was 3:30 AM.

She groaned and picked up her phone. It was a local number she didn't recognize.

"Hello?" she mumbled, putting the phone to her ear.

"Ms. Deidra Cole?" a man's voice spoke.

"Yes?"

"This is Deputy Long from the Hollow County Sheriff's Department. I have a man here who was arrested a little while ago. He told us to call you. He seems rather unstable."

She frowned. She didn't know anyone who would be arrested or unstable. "Who is it?" she asked, sitting up.

"Uh, well he was yelling that his name is Loki from some town called Askard-Asgard? when we arrested him. He didn't give us a state."

Deidra groaned and buried her face in her hand. "Of course," she said.

"You know him?"

"Yeah," she said. "Unfortunately. What do I need to do?"

"Well we're holding him for assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct," the deputy said. "The victim doesn't want to press charges and frankly he seems to need a psychiatric evaluation, so we're willing to cut him loose if you pay his bail."

She groaned again. "I'll be down there soon," she said.

"Thank you ma'am," he said and hung up.

She got dressed and drove 25 minutes into town to the sheriff's office. She walked into the lobby and spoke with the receptionist. She was then shown through a door and was met by an officer.

"Ms Cole?" He asked.

She nodded. "What happened?"

"We responded to a call about an assault. When we arrived, he had beaten a man pretty badly."

"Oh my god," She said softly, her eyes wide. "Why?"

"Well he's been quite cooperative-after we had to subdue him. He said that the victim tried to rob him and he retaliated. Whether or not that's true is another story. The victim doesn't want to press charges."

"You said he resisted arrest?" Deidra asked.

"Yes" the deputy nodded. "When we arrived and tried to gain control of the situation, he was aggressive towards us and was yelling how he was a god and his name was Loki from Asgard." The cop looked at her. "After I called you I ran that name and nothing came up. However another deputy made mention that he looks an awful lot like that alien-god-man who attacked New York. The name fits as well for it."

Deidra faked a laugh. "Oh no," she said. "He's my...cousin. He's not quite mentally stable. He saw the events on TV and thinks it's really cool to pretend to be that guy. He dyed his hair and everything."

The officer frowned. "What's his name, then?"

She blinked. "His name? Uh yeah...It's Tom," she said quickly, thinking off the top of her head. "Tom Banks. He's actually from...Wales. He's visiting for a while."

"Wales, huh?" The officer said.

"What's his bond?" She asked, changing the subject before she was asked something she couldn't fake her way through.

"3,000," he responded.

She blanched. "Holy crap," she said. She didn't have anywhere near that amount.

She sighed and looked at the deputy. "Can I see him?"

He shrugged. "Sure. This way."

The officer led her down a hallway and through a locked and guarded door. They were in the county jail now. They walked down a hall full of cells. Finally they stopped at a cell door. The deputy pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. He opened it and stepped back against the far wall.

Deidra saw Loki sitting on the cell bed, looking completely calm and relaxed.

"So you received my phone call," he said pleasantly with a smile.

"Tom," she said stepping inside.

He gave her a quizzical look, but was smart enough to say nothing.

"What in the hell happened?" She asked, wanting his side of the story.

She crossed her arms and waited.

He adjusted his weight and the bed and looked at her. "I was attacked by some man with a knife and I defended myself." He said with a shrug. "He said he wanted money, though I had none."

"So you beat the hell out of him," she said.

He looked at her and gave a small laugh. "I didn't realize defending myself was a crime."

She shook her head. "It's not, but you can't just beat people to a pulp. You need to show self control!" She walked towards him. "They're wanting $3000 for your bail. I don't have it. I have half a mind to let you sit here for as long as they'll keep you!"

He raised an eyebrow. "So you're angry then."

She sighed. "I can't keep spending money on you like this. I can't afford it."

He frowned and looked to the floor. "I understand," he said looking back up at her. "I am not your problem. You did not bargain for this when you agreed to help me. I _do_ understand."

He then gave her a small, yet radiant smile.

Deidra frowned, feeling torn. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't have the money."

"No, no," he said raising a hand. "I do understand. Do what you must. I shall stay here."

If he was trying to play on her guilt and pity, it was working.

She bit her lip and hesitated. She felt horrible, even though she didn't know him very well.  
"I'm-I'm sorry," she said quickly and turned and rushed out of the cell before she agreed to something she shouldn't.

The deputy walked to the cell door and shrugged at Loki. "Sorry," he said shutting the door, leaving him sitting on the bed frowning. That hadn't worked out at all like he planned.

Deidra rushed out of the sheriff's office and into the parking lot. She got into her car and drove off into the night back to her home.

As she drove her mind kept going back to how she had just left Loki there in that cell. She had promised to help him, but she had practically abandoned him there.

She shook her head. 'It's not my fault he got himself arrested,' she thought. 'That's his own stupid fault.'

But then again if he were telling the truth about who he was, he may honestly not know how to deal with things on Earth. Maybe going overboard with stuff like that was normal wherever he came from. Maybe?

'Still not my problem,' she argued with herself. 'I don't even know the guy.'

But then again, shouldn't she keep her promise? She had promised to help him. He obviously honestly needed help. Wouldn't she want someone to help her if she was in his situation?

At that moment she passed a billboard for a twenty-four hour bail bondsman that offered title loans.

She rolled her eyes. "I guess it's meant to be," she said, making a sudden U-turn on the deserted road.

"I'm going to so regret this..."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A new chapter! :D I was reading through my previous chapters and I realized that I made some errors in chapter 1 and chapter 3. I forgot to add in chapter 1 the part where Deidra pulled the bear mace from her bag before she met Loki. I have no idea how I left that out. I could have sworn I wrote it, but that's what I get trying to write with kids lol! And in chapter 3 I had a spelling error. **  
**I hate that I had errors like that. You guys deserve better, so I promise I will go over my chapters with a fine-toothed comb from now on before I publish them! :D And if you find an error, PLEASE let me know!  
As always, please review! If you love it, hate it, have suggestions, whatever, please review!**

Loki sighed and lay down on the cell bed. He let out a growl of frustration and beat the mattress once with his fist. He could have sworn that woman would have changed her mind and let him out. He didn't know what else he could do if she wasn't willing to let him free.

He completely comprehended the gravity of his situation. If someone decided to inform S.H.I.E.L.D. that he greatly resembled the war-criminal Loki (of course he did, he _was_ the war-criminal Loki), he would be in a predicament he wasn't sure that he would be able to get out of.

About an hour later the cell door jarred him out of the doze he had fallen in without realizing. He sat up quickly. An officer stood there expectantly.

"Come on," the officer said. "You get to go."

"What?" He responded groggily blinking the sleep out of his eyes. For a moment he couldn't recall where he was.

"Someone paid your bond. Get up, let's go."

'Well damn,' Loki thought as he stood up and stretched. 'She came through after all.'

He gave a small smile and walked out of the cell behind the man.

He followed him through the halls and into the lobby where Deidra was sitting in wait. The officer shut the door, leaving the two alone.

She didn't look happy at all. She sat in a chair, her legs and arms crossed.

Loki offered a brilliant smile. She returned it with a scowl.

He raise his eyebrows at her expression and dropped the smile. "I am deeply grateful to you," he said honestly.

Deidra stood up. "Let's go," she said coldly and left the building without waiting on him.

He looked after her a moment before following. This was going to be a long ride back to her home.

The car was already running when he got inside and shut the door. She started driving as soon as the door closed. He stared ahead of him, the tension in the air was so thick it was suffocating.

Finally she broke the silence. "You owe me," she said, her voice telling her frustration and annoyance. "You owe me big time. I had to pawn my car title to get you out of jail. You best not _ever_ do something so stupid again!"

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Nearly no one dared speak to him in that manner. Who did she think she was? She was merely some woman of Midgard and she still spoke to him as if they were equals. 'No,' he corrected himself. _She was speaking down to him._

"No one speaks to me in that manner," he said softly with a hint of menace and warning.

"_I am_," she said looking him square in the eye. "_You_ are under _my_ care. _I _sprung you from jail. Do you understand what would happen to you if the feds even _thought_ you were the one who tore up New York? They would crucify you. You can't just walk around like you own the place because you don't. You have to keep your head down and stop acting so high and mighty because you're not."

By now Loki was staring at her in astonishment. She was really letting him have it.  
'This is unusual,' he thought.

He smiled and gave an amused, breathy laugh. She was earning respect with him.

"What?" She snipped.

"I like this," he said with a smile. "It's exceedingly dull to have everyone walk around me on tiptoe. You are not like the others of Midgard. You have a fire about you and I like that."

She frowned. "There are plenty of people just like me," she denied.

"No," he said with a small shake of his head. "There are none like you."

"If you say so," she shrugged.

"Oh I do," he assured. "And I will acquiesce to your demands. I swear I will-how did you put it?-_keep my head down _from now on." He gave a crooked smile.

She eyed him. "And you'll behave yourself?" she questioned skeptically.

"On my honor," he said raising his hand in a vow, never losing his crooked grin. 'Or as well as the God of Mischief can behave,' he added silently.

They drove the rest of the way home in relative silence, though the tension was now gone from the atmosphere.

As they walked into the house, Deidra yawned. "I'm going to bed," she announced. "Please stay in the house," she said giving him a look.

"I want nothing more than to retire for the night myself," he responded.

"Good," she said. "Goodnight, then."

He gave a small smile and bow in response before walking past her into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Loki undressed and folded his clothing neatly before placing them on the dresser.

He sat on the bed and ran his fingers through his long, dark hair with a sigh. He was so tired. He would have never predicted his day would go the way it did, being stripped of his powers and being exiled from Asgard. Then meeting that woman-

'Deidra,' he reminded himself.

Deidra. The meeting Deidra in the woods, being attacked by the stupidly brave woman, then finding himself in her care. Getting attacked in the street by some thug and then being arrested. Now he was back in Deidra's care and in her debt.

'Perhaps the morrow will be calmer,' he thought.

He cut out the lights and got into the bed. As he lay in the dark a sadness crept over him until a deep, profound sorrow was the only thing he could feel.

'I have nothing,' he thought. 'I have no home. I have no family. I am unwanted,'

To his frustration, tears welled up in his eyes and he was powerless to stop them. He gave into the tears, rolling onto his side and clutching the blanket tightly in his fist.

He hated to cry.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Five chapters in! Woohoo! Lol. :) **  
**I've been thinking about what I want this story to become. I **_**may**_** end up making this a romance fic; I don't know yet. What do you think? **_**If**_** it ends up getting a romantic spin, I don't think it would be overly sappy lol. But like I said, I'm not decided yet. I'd love to get suggestions lol. But here is the chapter! Please please please review, even if you hate it, even if you love it, even if you have suggestions. :)**

Deidra woke to the sunlight shining in her eyes. She groaned and checked her clock. It was 12:37 PM. She groaned and lay back on her pillow. She didn't get nearly enough sleep. They didn't get home until after 5:30 that morning.

'At least I took today off,' she thought.

She lay in bed for about ten more minutes before getting up. She showered and got dressed for the day.

She walked out of her bedroom and noticed the house was silent. She looked towards the guest bedroom. The door was still shut. She figured Loki was still sleeping.

'Even if he ran away again he can just stay gone this time,' she thought.

She didn't think he would run away again, though. The walls in the house were thin and she had heard him sobbing before she fell asleep. She hated to hear _anyone_ cry like that. She looked at the bedroom door in pity before going into the kitchen to start cooking.

Loki woke to a pleasing aroma. He got out of bed and dressed, then stepped to his window and looked out. The sun was shining brightly and he could hear birds singing nearby.

He took a deep breath and let it out. 'Today shall be a better day,' he said to himself.

He turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He walked into the living room and saw Deidra taking a pan off the stove.

"Hi there," she greeted him pleasantly.

He walked to the table and sat where a plate was waiting for him.

"What is this?" He asked as she placed a small brown disc shaped food item on his plate followed by long strips of reddish brown somethings.

"Pancakes and bacon," she replied filling her plate as well. "I have syrup for the pancakes too. It's technically lunch time but I love pancakes." She handed him a syrup bottle and went to fill their drinks.

Loki looked at the bottle filled with dark, thick liquid. He popped the cap, turned it upside down and slowly squeezed out a tiny drop of syrup on his pancake. He replaced the cap and put the bottle in the center of the table.

"I'm not sure I understand the purpose of syrup," he said as she sat back down with their drinks. "Is it for food decoration?"

Deidra smiled and tried her best to hold back her amusement. She cleared her throat. "No," she said. "It makes them sweet. You have to put a lot."

She picked up the bottle and smothered hers with the syrup. She handed it to him. He looked very unsure, but did as she did.

"If this is a jest-" he started to warn, looking at her.

"No I swear," she cut him off, shaking her head. She cut and took a bite of hers. "See?"

He raised an eyebrow, slowly cut a piece and bit into it. From the look on his face, it was obvious he expected it to be horrible.

His expression disappeared. He looked at her. "This...this is good," he said with a soft smile.

She smiled back. "I would not steer you wrong," she replied.

They finished their brunch, making idle chit chat, the air between them not nearly as tense as it had been.

After their meal Deidra placed the dishes in the sink.

"Alright," she said to him. "If you're going to stay here, you're going to have to pull your own weight. You can start by washing the dishes."

He laughed, obviously very amused. He walked up to her. "I do not trifle with housework," he said leaning against the counter. "I'm a prince. I have never washed a dish in my life and I do not plan on starting now."

Deidra stared up at Loki, a full head taller than she, and he stared right back, a crooked smile playing on his lips. Neither spoke for several moments.

Suddenly Deidra burst out laughing as if he had told the most hilarious joke she had ever heard. His smile faded and was replaced by a very confused look. That was not the reaction he had expected.

She picked up a dish sponge and put it against his chest. In surprise he took it from her hands.

She turned and walked away, still laughing. "Be sure to scrub them good, _my prince_."

Confuddled, he watched her go out the front door.

"What?" He said out loud in a very confused voice. No one had ever outright laughed in his face before. He wasn't sure how to react to that at all.

He stared at the front door a few moments longer then looked at the sponge in his hand, still against his chest. He sighed and turned around to the sink to figure out how to wash the dishes. "Very well," he said out loud.

Deidra walked to the side of the house where the spout to the water hose was. She turned it on and picked up the end of the hose. She drug it around back and began watering her vegetable and flower garden.

She couldn't believe she just laughed in his face like that. She felt it was incredibly rude, but then again she couldn't stand that self satisfied little smile he had. It was either hit him or laugh. So she laughed.

She still wasn't quite sure about Loki. She had decided that he more than likely wouldn't hurt her unprovoked, but she didn't want to find out what he would do if she up and hit him, even if he was being an ass.

She chuckled a little. His face was priceless, though. She wondered if he was actually doing the dishes. She wondered if he knew _how_ to do the dishes.

She finished up watering the plants and turned off the hose, rolling it back up in his place.

'I better check on him,' she thought going onto the small back porch. She opened the back door and walked into the kitchen.

She stopped dead in her tracks and gasped.

Suds. Suds were all over the counter. And water. Water was everywhere.

And Loki... Loki was standing in front of her with a very self-satisfied smirk on his face.

"I washed yor dishes," he said motioning to sparkling clean dishes in the dish drain.

"You flooded my kitchen!" She exclaimed.

He looked around. "So I did," he said with a laugh.

"_Why?_"

He shrugged. "You failed to demonstrate to me how to do it."

She frowned. He was right. "I'm sorry," she said with a sigh. She scratched her head. "Will you help me clean this mess up?"

He looked off as if thinking it over, then he nodded. "Yes," he said.

As they cleaned Deidra looked at him. "Just asking, but did you make this mess on purpose?"

He frowned. "Of course not," he said honestly.

She nodded in acceptance and continued to clean.

Around 6 PM that night, Deidra sat on the sofa watching television. Loki was in his room, reading a book on his bed. Suddenly the skies darkened outside and the power went out as a huge clap of thunder and lightning rocked the house.

"Holy crap!" She cried out in surprise.

Again and again the lightning and thunder came. Deidra rushed to the window. The lightning bolts were everywhere.

Loki had rushed to her side to also look out the window.

"What's going on with this weather?" She asked loudly over the chaos outside. It was supposed to be clear weather all week. She wasn't expecting him to answer, though.

Loki just stared out the window. "It's my brother..." He finally said.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Hello! :D I had both a fun and hard time writing this chapter. I hope it came off as believable and not too miserable or angsty. I'm hoping I didn't lay it on too thick, lol. **  
**Thank you guys **_**so**_** much for the reviews and for the favorites and for following the story! :D It means the world to me! 3**  
**Please review! I love constructive criticism, so if you have any, let me know! Also let me know if you love or hate it too! I welcome all reviews. :D**

Deidra looked at Loki. "Your brother?" She said. "How is a storm your brother?"

"Oh no," Loki said looking back at her. "He simply brings the storm."

She frowned. Yep. He was definitely crazy. She decided not to push the issue and stayed quiet.

She looked up into the sky and then left the window to sit back on the couch to wait it out. Loki didn't move from the window.

"You should sit down," she suggested.

He didn't respond, but continued to look out the window. He seemed anxious.

The storm raged on until finally it suddenly stopped. The dark clouds moved away from the sun and the daylight shone again.

"Well that's weird," Deidra remarked standing up once more. She walked up to look out the window next to him, their shoulders touching. "I've never seen a storm like that."

"No, I don't suppose you have," he replied.

Suddenly a loud knock sounded at the back door, causing them both to jump; Deidra more than Loki.

She looked up at him, eyes wide. He looked back at her. "You might ought to answer that," he said, motioning his head to the door. "He will break it down if you don't."

She looked at the door, worried. Obviously someone was at the door, wanting inside. Loki seemed to believe it was his brother. Maybe he was right?

She stepped away from her dark-haired companion and inched her way to the back door in the kitchen.

The door banged again and she jumped. She looked back at him. He raised his eyebrows at her as if to say, "What are you waiting for?"

He watched her inch her way across the house to the backdoor. It was amusing, he admitted, to see her so nervous and edgy, but then again he couldn't blame her. He was more than happy to wait right where he was. He couldn't imagine any good reason his brother would come all this way to see him. In all honesty he was glad it was she and not him who had to open the door.

Finally Deidra made it to the back door. She reached out for the door knob. The door banged again, louder than ever, causing her to jump back with a squeal. She took a deep breath and reached for the door knob again and just threw the door open without any more thought.

She looked up at the tall blonde man in front of her. He had a stern look on his face, but that look softened when he saw her. It was obvious he hadn't expected it to be her to open the door.

Her eyes widened and she subconsciously leaned back as she stared at him.

'Holy crap,' was the only thing she could think. She knew this guy. She had seen him on the news. He was one of the people to help save Earth from the aliens. He was dressed the same and everything. He even had the hammer. She couldn't remember his name, but it was definitely him.

If he was there that could only mean one thing. He was Loki's brother, which also meant her companion _really_ was the Loki who helped destroy New York.

"_Holy shit," _she said out loud, not dropping her stare.

Her staring was obviously awkward for the visitor. He cleared his throat. "I'm searching for a man," he said. "I was informed he is in this area."

Deidra couldn't make herself speak. She just dumbly pointed over into the living room, never dropping her stare off the golden-haired man.

'This can't be happening!' her thoughts raced as he stepped around her to enter the house. 'I have aliens...no _gods_ in my house. There are _two gods_ in my house! This doesn't happen to people. Gods don't just show up at your house!'

Loki rolled his eyes at Deidra's sudden muteness and stepped away from the living room window. "Hello, brother," he said, careful to let no emotion show in his voice. It was harder than he had thought it would be, though. As soon as he laid eyes on his brother all sorts of unwanted emotions flooded his entire body. He was angry, sad, embarrassed, jealous, and homesick all at the same time. He realized, however, he was very happy to see him. He had missed Thor more than even he realized.

Thor smiled and closed the gap between them. "Loki!" he greeted, his voice honestly happy. "Heimdall said you would be here and here you are!" He clapped his brother hard on the shoulder, knocking Loki off-balance.

Loki rubbed his shoulder. "I can't help but guess that you didn't come for idle chatter," he said.

Thor's smile darkened. "You're not wrong," he admitted. Loki frowned. "But it's happy news!" Thor assured, seeing his face.

Deidra slowly inched her way closer to the two, trying to keep out of notice, but couldn't help but want to hear every word of the conversation.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "How could you have happy news?" he asked. "I've been stripped of my powers and banished from Asgard. How can any of that be made better with good news?"

Thor frowned. "I understand your frustrations," he said. "However, some of our people have studied the staff the Chitauri gave you. They have determined that it causes its wielder's mind to _bend_ under the Chitauri's commands. You were not in control of your own mind! You were _not_ at fault for all that happened here."

Thor waited for Loki to smile and act relieved, but he didn't. He just stood there silently. Deidra thought over what he had just said.

"You mean the aliens used mind control on him?" she spoke up.

Both gods turned and looked at her, not realizing she had been listening.

"Yes," Thor answered. "Loki's thoughts were not his own."

Loki frowned. "I remember everything that happened," he said darkly. "I was in control. I wanted it to happen. That was me, not the Chitauri."

Thor shook his head. "That is how the staff works," he said. "They trick you into thinking that _their_ commands are your own thoughts and ideas." He looked at his brother. "Have you been having headaches?" he asked suddenly.

Loki's brow furrowed. "Headaches?" he repeated. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"The men who studied the staff also learned that being apart from it after a certain time, the hold the Chitauri has on the wielder grows weaker in phases until the hold is completely gone. These phases are marked by severe headaches."

Deidra remembered. "You've had headaches," she said softly.

Loki looked at her and nodded, taking it all in. Yes, she was right. He had had horrible headaches since he had arrived there. "Yes," he said equally as soft. He looked at Thor and his voice boldened. "But they've stopped. I haven't had any in a while."

Thor nodded. "Well you seem to be back to your old self again," he said. "When I look at you now, I see my brother, not some villain that I met in New York those months ago." He reached out and put a hand on Loki's shoulder. "It gladdens me," he said with a smile.

Loki looked at him. "Father knows about this discovery?" he asked. Thor nodded. "Then may I come home?" he asked with a hopeful smile, unable to stop the shimmer of emotion in his eyes.

Thor frowned. He backed off of his brother just a little and shook his head sadly. "I am afraid not," he said, avoiding Loki's gaze. "Father says that you are still responsible for the crimes you committed during your reign as King of Asgard. He also says that you had to have opened your mind to the Chitauri to let them in. You took the staff, so you are still partially responsible for what happened."

Loki's hopeful expression crumbled into a look of complete hopelessness and despair. He reached out and clutched Thor's hands in his. "Brother, please," he said softly, tears shimmering in his eyes. He stared up into his eyes, hoping he would change his mind, though he knew it was hopeless.

Thor shook his head and took his hands from Loki's. "I am truly sorry," he said. "I tried and tried to convince him to let you return, but he has made his decision. I can't go against him."

Loki thought back to when Thor had been exiled. He had visited the blonde-haired god on Midgard and said nearly the exact same thing to him. Now he knew how it felt. It was horrible.

Loki's face became expressionless and he wiped at his eyes. "I suppose not," he said in a cold, yet cordial voice. "After all," he continued, his voice growing louder and more harsh with each word. "you wouldn't want to risk your place on Asgard's throne to speak up for me!"

Thor frowned. "Loki, you're wrong," he said, but the dark-haired god wasn't finished. He had been wounded and couldn't stop himself.

"You go back to your Asgard," he spat. "I'm sure it's much better up there without me now. I was never wanted anyway. This is the_ perfect _excuse for the All-Father to be rid of me."

"Loki," Thor said. "Your anger will lead you nowhere. You are not as hated as you believe."

He looked at Loki sadly and turned to leave. "I only came to tell you about the staff. Father doesn't know I'm here, so I must return quickly." He paused at the door and looked back at him. "We are rebuilding the Bifrost, so perhaps I shall visit again, brother."

And at that he walked outside, shutting the door behind him. Not long after, the sky got dark and the storm began again. Deidra rushed to open the door and look out. There was nothing except the same design on the ground as she found in the woods that day she met Loki. She looked around for a moment and went back inside. Already the storm was letting up.

She looked around the room. Loki wasn't standing where she left him. She frowned and walked into the living room and into the hallway. His door was shut. She knocked softly.

"Hey," she said. "Are you in there?"

Loki _was_ in the room, sitting on his bed. He felt helpless and hopeless once again. Any hope that he would ever return to Asgard had been destroyed during Thor's visit. He realized for the first time that he was truly stuck here; probably for good.

Deidra knocked again. "Loki?" she said.

He sighed. "What is it?" he responded, not moving from the bed.

She heard his voice through the door and felt such pity for him. She slowly turned the knob and opened the door a crack. She peeked her head in. "Are you ok?" she asked softly.

He glared at her. "Leave me," he said darkly. He wanted nothing more than to just be left alone.

"Are you sure?" she asked, opening the door wider.

"_Now_," he warned.

"Loki, come on," she persisted.

"Get out!" he yelled, getting to his feet. He made it two steps towards her before she slammed the door shut.

Deidra backed away from the door against the hallway wall, breathing heavily. The look on his face was scary. What would he have done if he had made it to her before she got out of the room?

'Nothing good,' she thought.

She went to her bedroom and locked the door, afraid.

Loki stood in front of his own door and looked down at his hands, balled into fists. He slowly relaxed his fists and tried to stop the shakiness in his breathing. What did he just do? What was he going to do if he had caught her? He didn't even know. He felt the anger drain from him. This wasn't her fault. She had nothing to do with this. She simply wanted to offer comfort, he knew, and he literally ran her off.

He sat back on his bed and took several deep breaths. She didn't deserve that. He had no right to treat her like that.

'Maybe I _am_ the monster people think me to be,' he thought miserably.

He shook his head. 'I'm _not_,' he said to himself. He was many things, but a monster was not one of them. And he needed to prove it, starting with Deidra.

He would apologize to her, something he hadn't done in many, many years. He couldn't remember the last time he apologized to someone.

He stood up and checked his face in the mirror, making sure he looked presentable before opening his door and going to hers.

He stood outside her bedroom door for a few moments, not knowing exactly what he should say. He took a few deep breaths, brought his hand up, and rapped quickly at her door.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**First, thank you all for reading my story! I have had a few new followers and a few new favorites and a new comment! I love it, thanks so much! Knowing I have readers who like it is like lifeblood to my story! Thank you!**  
**I apologize in advance if this chapter is a little too deep or dark or serious or whatever. I hadn't planned on taking it there and I'm not sure if I'm pleased with it or not. I'm much better at writing less-serious content, I think. Haha. **  
**Please leave a review if you love it, hate it, or have suggestions. :)**

Deidra heard the knock at her door, but ignored it. She couldn't get the look of rage on his face out of her mind. Would he have hit her if she hadn't of ran off?

"Deidra," she heard Loki's voice call through the door.

By his voice, it seemed as if his rage was gone, but she still didn't answer. He had really scared her. She didn't want to see him.

He was quiet for a minute. "Listen," he said finally. His voice was soft. He stood on the other side of the door, with his palm against the wood. He had no idea what to say to her.  
"...I apologize for frightening you," he said awkwardly, though sincere.

He waited for a response, but there was none.

He sighed. "You are the sole person on this planet that has shown me kindness. I..." He paused, then added softly, "You didn't deserve my anger."

He waited a moment longer, but still no answer. He sighed. "If you decide to speak to me, I shall be in my quarters." He turned and walked away back into his room and quietly shut the door.

Deidra sat on her bed and looked quietly at the door. She frowned. He sounded sincere, but was he truly? She lay back on her pillows and let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

On a different note, she never really thought that her companion was a real god as he claimed, but she couldn't deny it anymore. He really was who he said he was.

That was really cool and all, but what did that mean for her? Would she be safe with him? Would the other gods do anything to her? There were so many questions.

She lay there, thinking it over for a long time. She finally looked at her bedroom door. 'I believe him,' she thought, getting to her feet.

Loki lay on his own bed, thinking as well. A soft knock came at his door. He got up quickly and opened the door. She stood in front of him, looking a little awkward. They didn't say anything to each other for a couple of moments.

Suddenly she smiled. "You suck at apologizing," she teased, trying to break the awkward tension.

He was surprised for only a brief moment, but then smiled in return, truly glad to see that she wasn't angry. "Yes, I do," he admitted.

She pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side, looking up at him. "So you really _are_ a god, huh," she said.

His smile faded. "Not anymore," he said somberly.

She didn't want him to slip back into his dark mood. She smiled brighter. "Nah," she said punching him lightly in the shoulder. "Once a god, always a god, right?"

He smiled again. He knew she was just trying to lighten his mood, but surprisingly it was working. He was grateful for that.

He stepped back from the doorway, allowing her to come inside. She did and sat on the edge of his bed. He walked to his dresser and leaned against it.

"So that was your brother," Deidra chatted. "I saw him on TV too. What's his name? I can't remember."

"Thor," Loki replied. "But he's not my brother; not really."

She frowned. "You called him your brother in the kitchen." She said.

"Merely out of habit," he said dismissively.

She looked at him. "Why?" She asked.

He frowned. "Why what?"

"You call him your brother, but he's not your brother. What's up with that?"

He bit the inside of his cheek and crossed his arms subconsciously. "That's a long story," he said.

She looked up at him expectantly. "I have time," she said and patted the bed next to her.

"Why do you care?" He asked with a shrug.

"I'm nosy," she answered immediately, eyes wide and expectant. "Besides," she added. "You kind of owe me, you know. And I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours." She patted the bed again.

Loki rolled his eyes and let out a slightly exaggerated sigh. He walked over and sat next to her. He grimaced inwardly at her intrigued smile.

'Cheeky little thing,' he thought.

Slowly, he told her of being raised as a son of Odin, as a prince, and thinking his whole life that that was who he was. He then told her about discovering his true parentage. It made him very uncomfortable to lay out his past like that.

"Oh," Deidra said when he finished. 'He must have been devastated,' she thought solemnly. She looked at him. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"It's of no matter now," he said with a shrug, pulling together his composure so it wouldn't show that it still hurt him deeply. He knew it probably always would.

"Of _course_ it is," she said. "That's a big deal to suddenly discover you were adopted, and to not even have been born on the same planet. It's a _huge_ deal no matter who you are."

He looked at her in surprise. "So you understand?" He asked.

"Of course I understand!" She said. "That's a huge secret to keep from you. You should have been told a _long_ time ago. That wasn't right of your family to do that. I'd be angry too."

He gave a smile of relief. No one had ever empathized with him about that before. She gave no excuses for his family's secret and even said he had a right to be angry.

"_But_..." She added. "They _are_ still your family, even though it's not by blood."

He frowned, knowing she was right, but too stubborn to admit it.

"Don't scowl at me like that," she said rolling her eyes. "They raised you and took care of you. They may have made a shitty decision to hide the truth from you, but they loved you didn't they?"

"They always favored my brother," he said, not answering the question.

"And that's crappy. But they loved you, right?"

He gave an annoyed growl. She raised her eyebrows at him expectantly. "Fine, yes," he snipped.

She smirked at him, but didn't say anything. They sat there in silence for a moment.

"You said you would tell me your story," he said suddenly. "So come on let's hear it."

She shrugged. "Not much to tell," she said. "I don't know who my dad is. My mom did a lot of bad things so I was taken away from her."

He frowned and furrowed his brow. "Midgardian authorities take children away from questionable parents?"

She looked at him. "You keep saying Midgard, what's up with that?"

"Earth," he corrected dismissively.

"Ah," she said. "Well yes. It's not always a bad thing that they do. I'm glad they took me away now. But I never had a family who really loved me. I had some good foster parents, but it's not the same as having a family. I bounced from house to house until I was 18. I got a scholarship and went to college. And here I am. I'm doing pretty well I think, all things considered."

He didn't respond. It was a very strange concept to him, but he decided to drop the issue. "I grow weary of this conversation," he said instead. It made him uncomfortable to talk so intimately like this.

"Oh good, me too," Deidra said brightly. "You want to watch a movie? Let's watch a movie!" she said and hopped up. She turned and smiled at him before leaving the room.

He watched her go and allowed himself a small, sincere smile. He got up and followed her.

"Do you like popcorn?" she called from the kitchen.

"I don't think I have ever had popcorn," Loki responded walking in behind her.

She stopped what she was doing and turned around to stare at him. "You've never had popcorn?" she asked in a disbelieving voice. "_Never?_"

"Not that I recall," he said.

"Yeah, you're so trying popcorn," she said pulling out a bag from the cupboard. She popped it in the microwave. "What kind of movies do you like?" she asked, then realized. "Oh...Do you even have movies where you come from?" she asked.

"No," he said pointedly, leaning against the counter.

"You'll love them," she said brightly. "Everyone does."

'She's so excited,' he thought in amusement. He wasn't too interested in these so-called movies, but he didn't have anything better to do than to oblige her.

Deidra chatted away about all the types of movies there were and all her favorites. She chatted until the microwave beeped at her. She pulled out the hot popcorn and opened the bag.

She handed it to him. "Here," she said. "Try it while I pick out something to watch."

She walked by him and started digging through the DVDs on a shelf. Loki looked at the hot bag in his hands and picked up a fluffy white piece. He placed it in his mouth. He liked it. A lot. He popped in another piece. And another. And another.

"Got it!" she called cheerfully. "Come on!"

He went and sat on the far end of the couch. She was at the other end. He munched the popcorn intently, wondering how he would like this 'movie' thing.

Deidra looked over at him. "Popcorn, please."

He looked at her, leaning away a little. "This is my bag," he said with a little huff as if she had lost her mind.

"I bought it!" she said with a little laugh. "Hand it over. I meant for us to share it."

He laughed out loud. "I don't share," he said.

"Dude if I have to get up off this couch I will," she said in a mock threat.

"Oh I'm petrified," he said, a smirk playing on his face. He felt much better now, knowing he wasn't totally misunderstood and scorned by everyone.

She slapped down the throw pillow she had been holding in her lap and started to stand up.

"Oh there. There." he said flicking popcorn kernels at her. "There. Popcorn. There. There." he shot her a smug look and popped several pieces on his mouth. "There, I shared," he said.

He barely had time to duck when she threw the pillow at his head.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Hello all my readers! I'm currently bed-ridden with an illness, which is bad for me, but good for story-writing! Maybe? Lol! **  
**I don't have much of a commentary this chapter. I hope you like it. :)**  
**Please review, review, review! :D**

Loki lay on a thing Deidra called a hammock in the backyard the next day after lunch. Deidra was nearby weeding her garden. It was a lovely summer afternoon and the two were fully enjoying it.

Loki continuously flicked his wrist slowly. He was attempting to remember how he produced his magic. It used to come second-nature to him, but now he didn't have the slightest clue how he did it. It was frustrating, but he hadn't really expected any results.

"I think if you wave your hand about a hundred more times, you'll finally get it," Deidra commented from her garden.

He turned his head slightly and looked at her from the corner of his eye. He looked away and continued. 'Ha. Ha.' he thought dryly.

She smiled and went back to gardening.

Suddenly her phone rang shrilly from the grass nearby. Loki frowned and looked at the device on the ground. "What in the Nine Realms is that noise?" he said.

"My phone," she answered, picking it up. She looked at the screen. "Amelia," she said brightly, answering the phone. "Hi!"

Loki sat up and watched her speak into the phone. He realized it was a speaking device. He wondered who this Amelia was.

Deidra spoke a few minutes longer, said goodbye, and then hung up. "My friend Amelia is on her way over," she told him. "She's a couple of minutes away."

"Fantastic," he said with a smile that plainly showed that he couldn't care less in the slightest.

"Yep," she replied getting to her feet, ignoring his sarcasm. She went up the back steps and went into the house.

He lay back in the hammock and looked up at the sky. He was much too comfortable to get up and be bothered with some woman. 'Why do we not have hammocks in Asgard?' he thought lazily, closing his eyes and letting himself rock gently side-to-side in the breeze.

He could have easily fell asleep out there, but soon the sound of a vehicle crunching over the gravel driveway roused him from his relaxation. He opened his eyes and held his head up to look towards the sound. From where he was, however, he couldn't see the vehicle or its driver.

He lay back and closed his eyes again. 'Oh well,' he thought. 'Maybe that Amelia woman will leave soon.' He couldn't help but wonder, though, about who Amelia was. Obviously she was a good friend of Deidra's.

He shook his head and closed his eyes again, trying to rid himself of his curiosity, but couldn't. He opened his eyes and looked towards the house. 'Maybe just a look,' he thought.

Deidra was already walking out onto the front porch when Amelia pulled up in her black Honda. "Hey!" she greeted. "What's up?"

Amelia greeted her in return and went into the house. "You haven't called or texted in a while. I was in the area so I decided to stop by," she said. "Bill says you haven't been to work in a couple of days. You ok?"

"Yeah," Deidra said nodding. "Yeah I've just been really busy lately."

"Busy?" Amelia asked, going into the kitchen to help herself to a drink. She opened up the cabinets for a cup.

"Yeah, I-" but she didn't get to finish. Loki had walked through the back door, causing Amelia to scream in surprise and jump back against the stove.

"_Who is that?!" _she exclaimed, looking at Deidra through locks of her short dark brown hair that had fallen in her face.

"Oh, that's-" Deidra started.

"Loki," Loki interrupted with a charming smile. "Of Asgard."

Amelia looked at him and gave a wary smile. "Hi," she said, still shaken from his sudden entrance. She walked warily away from him and to Deidra in the living room. She leaned close. "Who the hell is he?" she asked her.

"Loki, like he said," Deidra responded with a shrug.

"No, _who_ is he? Where did he come from?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me about him? Are you two-?"

"No!" Deidra said quickly. "No. I only met him a couple of days ago. He's staying here for a while."

"You're letting a total _stranger_ stay in your house?" Amelia asked, wide-eyed.

Loki watched the two women converse, able to hear every word. The woman Amelia was slightly taller than Deidra and just a little more heavy-set. She had short dark brown hair that barely fell below her ears.

"He needed help," Deidra said. She looked into her friends eyes. "Can you _promise _me that you can keep a secret?"

"You know I can," Amelia said frowning. "What is it?"

"Loki is..." Deidra paused. She knew it all sounded insane, but Amelia was her best friend and she kept nothing from her. She took a breath. "...He fell. From the sky the other day. I found him in the woods. He's not from here."

Her friend stared at her, obviously not following the story. "Then where is he from?"

Deidra shuffled her weight, unsure if she should continue. "He's kind of...He's a god. He was banished from his home and he fell here and I found him. I promised I would help him." she finished pathetically, knowing how it all sounded.

Amelia's face suddenly changed to an expression of pity and worry. "Oh honey," she said in pity. She reached out and hugged her friend. "You've gone crazy."

"What? No!" Deidra said, still being held in the hug.

"I have a number for a good psychologist." Amelia said. "We'll get you help."

Deidra pulled back. "It's true. His brother was here too. He's legit."

Amelia shook her head sincerely. "Then he's crazy too. Or he's running a scam or something."

"I can hear you, you know," Loki spoke up dryly, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed.

Amelia looked back at him, his black hair, wavy and parted, hanging naturally. He wore a white button up shirt and dark jeans with black loafers.

"You need to leave," she said to him. "I'm sorry if you're on hard times or whatever, but you can't be making her think you're a god! That's crazy."

Deidra shook her head. "No, he's not going anywhere," she said defensively. "I'm not crazy. He's not crazy." This was not how she had expected this conversation to go. But then again, how else should she have expected it? "Do you remember that alien attack in New York? Do you remember that man Thor? Who helped fight off the aliens?"

"Vaguely," she said. "He looks nothing like him."

"No, Loki is his brother...He's the one who...he's the one who caused all of it."

She looked over at him and noticed he was looking at the ground, a serious, scornful look on his face. Was it guilt? Remorse, maybe?

Amelia wasn't impressed. She pulled out her phone. "Loki's his name, right?" She started to Google him. She looked over at him and then back at the results on her phone.

"Well," she said with a tilt of her head. "I have to admit he's spot on from the news articles. Just slick back the hair and that's him..." She looked at him again. "What, you don't have any hair gel on Earth?"

She pulled Deidra further away from Loki.

"If he's who you say he is, _for real_, then he is dangerous, Deidra," she said seriously. "Look what that guy did. Do you really feel safe?"

Deidra looked back at him. She knew he heard the question. He was looking up at her expectantly. "Yes," she said honestly. He had promised her the night before that he would never harm her and she believed him.

Loki heard her response and smiled. It pleased him that she felt safe with him. He had meant what he promised her.

Amelia sighed. "Well you're a big girl. You can make your own decisions I guess," she said, though clearly displeased. "Just _please_ tell me you haven't done him yet."

"No!" Deidra exclaimed, turning bright red. "_Wow._ No!"

"Good," Amelia said. "You might catch something you can't give back."

"I'm standing _right here!_" Loki said loudly, a tinge of pink. He had decided that he really disliked this Amelia.

Amelia looked at him, but didn't say a word. She walked to the door. "So how long are you going to be out of work for this guy?" she asked Deidra cooly.

"I'm going back to work tomorrow," she responded going to the door as well.

"Good," she said. "Don't let that guy get you fired. And if you ever need me...For _anything_, just call me and I'll come get you. I don't care what time it is."

She shot Loki an ice-cold look and walked out the door after hugging her friend tightly.

Deidra shut the door and watched Amelia leave through the window.

Loki walked into the living room. "Well that could have went better," he commented.

Deidra turned and walked close to him. "Yeah," she sighed. "That didn't go well at all."

He gave her a smirk. "Well you _did_ sound a bit mad," he said teasingly. "She might come back and have you locked away."

She smiled and nudged him with her arm. "Well if she commits me, she'll have you locked away too," she reminded him.

He smiled and nudged her back, then suddenly got serious. "Though truly, I believe she will cause trouble."

She frowned and looked up at him. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I am not sure, but I feel trouble will follow her," he said.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Sorry this chapter took so long to write. I hope you guys like it. :)**  
**Please review! **

Deidra couldn't help but wonder what Loki could mean by trouble. He wouldn't elaborate and had retreated back outside to take back up with the hammock.

She settled down in the living room and started to gather her papers and things she needed to go back to work the next day. She had been editing and proofreading a research paper for Bill and was about halfway finished. She knew he wouldn't be thrilled to know that she hadn't worked on it at all since taking her leave of absence. She looked through her folders and found the heavily marked, thick stack of computer-printed papers. She grabbed a red pen and flipped through until she found where she had left off. Each page had her writing all over it. Bill was a brilliant scientist, but he was lacking in writing skills.

'Everybody has their flaws,' she thought contently to herself as she began to read the paper. It didn't take but reading a couple of lines before she found another error. She corrected it and moved on.

She worked on the paper for a good thirty minutes before she decided to give her eyes a rest. She stood up and stretched her arms over her head, bending backwards as far as she could go.

Deidra walked to the back door and peered out, curious to know what Loki was up to. From her place at the door it looked as if he had fallen asleep in the hammock. He wasn't moving much and had a hand on his chest.

She frowned as she looked at him. How could the guy napping in that hammock possibly be the same guy who did all those horrible things? 'But he is,' she thought. She knew his brother had said that Loki had been brainwashed, but still. He did do all those things, brainwashed or not.

'Poor guy,' she thought.

She suddenly became curious and went back inside to fetch her laptop. She sat down on the couch with it and plugged in her earbuds, her back to the kitchen. She began to Google him. 'If he's going to stay here, I might as well learn all I can about him,' she thought.

She found first a lot of ancient Norse mythology on him. She read through those quickly and then revised her search. She wanted to know about him during the New York fiasco. She had seen him on the television when it happened, she remembered, but back then she didn't think TOO much about him, other than panic and worry if he would kill them all. She remembered her fear that day. Everyone was afraid that day.

She pulled up several news articles and watched several videos. She found it all strangely facinating. The man she knew was so much different than this horrifying, strange man on television.

Suddenly something hit her in the back. She turned around and found a piece of ice lying behind her. She took out her earbuds, looked behind her and jumped, startled. Loki stood in the kitchen, looking impatient. How long had he been there?

"Jeez!" she said, holding her chest.

"Yes, finally," he said impatiently. "While I find it charming that you're looking at _me_ on your little device, I cannot help but wonder what _this_ is?" he said, going into the laundry room without waiting on her.

She gave a confused look before getting up to follow him. She found him standing in the middle of the room staring down the thing in the corner.

"That?" she asked. "That's the hot water heater..._Why?"_

"Water...heater,"he repeated. He looked at her. "What does it do? Obviously it heats water, but for what purpose?"

'Why does he care about a water heater?' she thought. He was so strange. "You know when you took a shower?" she asked. He nodded. "This thing is what gave you your hot water."

He stared at it with a small, intrigued smile. Obviously the wheels in his head were turning, but for what? "And without it?" he asked.

"...There would be no hot water," she said, giving him a very strange look. "..._Why?" _

He shook his head. "No matter," he said with a smile. "You've been most helpful." He then walked around her and left the little room.

'_What_ is up?" she thought.

She shrugged it off and went on about her day.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next day Deidra got up early and headed off to work at Bill's lab.

When she walked in, the first thing she noticed was how dirty it was. 'Obviously I'm the only one who cleans around here,' she thought in slight annoyance.

"Hi, Bill," she called out loudly, putting her coat and bags on the hangers by the door.

A moment later a man popped his head out of a door frame. "Deidra!" He greeted enthusiastically.

Bill Faust was 48 years old. He was short, plump, and his hair was turning prematurely gray with a prominent bald spot that got worse each year. He looked much older than he was.

Deidra loved him dearly. He had become a good friend and mentor to her. She had never really planned on interning for a scientist, especially a plant biologist. She had finished college with a biology degree, but had no idea what to do with it until she was told that Bill was looking for an intern. She applied simply because she needed the money. Now four years later she was loving her job, even though the pay could have been better and she often was made to perform not-so-pleasant tasks.

Deidra smiled in return. "So did you lose the broom while I was gone? Or forget how to empty the trash?" She asked, looking around.

Bill waved her tease away. "I was much too busy for all that," he said dismissively. "I'm close to a breakthrough!"

She looked at him. "You say that every week."

"I mean it this time!" He said excited.

She shook her head and smiled. He had been researching a way to drastically slow down aging using certain plants, but he never found his breakthrough. Truthfully she didn't think he would ever find a breakthrough, but it wasn't her place to say so.

"So what can I do to help?" She asked.

"Well first you can clean up this place. It's a mess," he said. "Then come find me. You'll be going on a field trip today."

Deidra grimaced once Bill's back was turned. His "field trips" usually weren't pleasant.

She cleaned the lab within an hour and stepped back to admire her handiwork. The lab now positively shone. She then went in search of Bill.

She found him sitting at his desk scribbling notes and speaking into a recorder. She knocked softly at the door. He looked up, smiled, and paused the recording.

"So what's the field trip this time?" Deidra asked, leaning against the door frame.

He went to her and clapped her on the shoulder. "Are you ready to get wet?" He asked enthusiastically.

She couldn't help that her upper lip curled slightly in apprehension.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loki was reading a book on the couch when he heard keys jangle in the front door later that day.

'Deidra must be back,' he thought, marking his place in the book.

He stood as she came through the front door. His face slowly changed from a look of contentment to a look of shock and disgust.

"Did you fall into a pig sty?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

She stared at him, unamused. She was covered from head to toe in thick, putrid smelling mud.

He put the back of his fist to his nose delicately. "And did you roll in something dead?"

He asked, his voice laced with amusement.

"I fell in a swamp," she said flatly.

She had mud caked in her hair, across her face, down her neck, and completely covering her clothes and arms. She had worn tall waterproof boots, but had stepped in a deep spot in the swamp. The water filled up the boots, causing her to lose her balance and fall as she tried to get out. At least Loki was trying to hide his amusement. Bill had outright laughed at her when she returned to the lab.

"What were you doing in a swamp?" He asked, his eyes dancing with amusement. He tried (and failed) to suppress a grin.

"Looking for plants for Bill," she said.

"Well you're mucking up the house," he said stepping out of her way. "Go bathe. Touch nothing on your way."

She smirked. "Oh come on," she said to him. "Don't you want a big hug?" She opened her arms and advanced towards him.

He backed up quickly away from her. "Stop," he said, holding up a finger of warning.

She didn't obey. "Oh come on, Loki," she said advancing on him. "Just one touch."

"You smell of death and feces," he said continuing to avoid her. "Touch me and it shall be your last."

She laughed and backed off. She went to her room to get a much-needed shower.

Loki stood up straight and straightened out his clothing. He looked off towards her bedroom.  
'I almost pity her,' he thought. He then let a mischievous grin creep over his face. 'Almost.'

Deidra peeled off the sticky, putrid clothing and tossed them in a pile in the corner of the bathroom. She wasn't sure yet if she would try washing them or just burn them.

She ran the shower and let it get warm. She stepped in and sighed in relief. A shower is exactly what she needed. She quickly washed all the muck off, then wet her hair and popped open the cap to her shampoo. She started to lather her hair.

Suddenly what felt like horrible ice cold daggers shot through her body as the hot water completely cut out. She gave a shriek of shock and jumped out of the spray. She pressed herself against the shower wall and made a pitiful wail when she realized she would have to reach through the water to shut off the shower.

Suddenly she heard something beyond the shower. She listened harder and realized exactly what it was.

Loki was laughing.


End file.
